ACS BIOCHEMISTRY PRACTICE FINAL
MOCK EXAM WITH ANSWER RATIONALES
2026
◉ What is the L configuration of a sugar in a fischer projection?
Answer: Hydroxyl on the left
◉ What is the difference between glycogen and amylopectin?
Answer: Glycogen has branches about every 10 residues, so it is
more highly branched. Amylopectin has branches aprox. every 25
residues.
◉ What is amylose made up of?
Answer: glucose
◉ What makes up starch?
Answer: Amylose and amylopectin - chain of glucose
◉ What is a glycosidic bond?
Answer: links two monosaccharides together at points 1 and 4
,◉ What is the difference between alpha 1-4 and beta 1-4 linkage?
Answer: Alpha: when the oxygen is pointed down in a glycosidic
bond.
Beta: when the oxygen is pointed up in a glycosidic bond.
◉ What is the definition of a carbohydrate?
Answer: all have hydroxyl and carbonyl functional groups
◉ Difference between an aldose and a ketose?
Answer: Aldose has aldehyde, and ketose has ketone.
◉ What makes up sucrose?
Answer: fructose and glucose monosaccharides
◉ What makes up lactose?
Answer: Glucose and galactose monosaccharides
◉ What makes up mannose and maltose?
Answer: Two glucose monosaccharides
◉ What are lipids?
Answer: soluble in other nonpolar solvents (not water)
,◉ What are triglycerides composed of?
Answer: glycerol and three fatty acids
◉ What is saponification?
Answer: base hydrolysis of a triglyceride or other fat
strong base is added
breaks ester linkages to release hydroxyls and form glycerol
◉ What has a higher level of unsaturation? Oils or fats.
Answer: Oils, theyre liquid at room temperature
◉ What is the henderson hassalbach equation?
Answer: pH = pKa + log ([A-] / [HA])
◉ What is the structure of the plasma membrane?
Answer: Hydrophillic head + Hydrophobic fatty acid tails + proteins
span the phospholipid bylayer
◉ FMOC chemical synthesis
, Answer: Used in synthesis of a growing amino acid chain to a
polystyrene bead. FMOC is used as a protecting group on the N-
terminus.
◉ What is salting out purification?
Answer: Changes soluble protein to solid precipitate. Protein
precipitates when the charges on the protein match the charges in
the solution.
◉ What is size exclusion chromotography?
Answer: Separates sample based on size with smaller molecules
eluting later
◉ Ion Exchange chromatography
Answer: Separates sample based on charge. CM attracts +, DEAE
attracts -. May have repulsion effect on like charges. Salt or acid used
to remove stuck proteins
◉ Hydrphobic/Reverse Phase chromatrography
Answer: Beads are coated with a carbon chain. Hydrophobic
proteins stick better. Elute with non-H-bonding solvent
(acetonitrile).
◉ What is affinity chromotography?
MOCK EXAM WITH ANSWER RATIONALES
2026
◉ What is the L configuration of a sugar in a fischer projection?
Answer: Hydroxyl on the left
◉ What is the difference between glycogen and amylopectin?
Answer: Glycogen has branches about every 10 residues, so it is
more highly branched. Amylopectin has branches aprox. every 25
residues.
◉ What is amylose made up of?
Answer: glucose
◉ What makes up starch?
Answer: Amylose and amylopectin - chain of glucose
◉ What is a glycosidic bond?
Answer: links two monosaccharides together at points 1 and 4
,◉ What is the difference between alpha 1-4 and beta 1-4 linkage?
Answer: Alpha: when the oxygen is pointed down in a glycosidic
bond.
Beta: when the oxygen is pointed up in a glycosidic bond.
◉ What is the definition of a carbohydrate?
Answer: all have hydroxyl and carbonyl functional groups
◉ Difference between an aldose and a ketose?
Answer: Aldose has aldehyde, and ketose has ketone.
◉ What makes up sucrose?
Answer: fructose and glucose monosaccharides
◉ What makes up lactose?
Answer: Glucose and galactose monosaccharides
◉ What makes up mannose and maltose?
Answer: Two glucose monosaccharides
◉ What are lipids?
Answer: soluble in other nonpolar solvents (not water)
,◉ What are triglycerides composed of?
Answer: glycerol and three fatty acids
◉ What is saponification?
Answer: base hydrolysis of a triglyceride or other fat
strong base is added
breaks ester linkages to release hydroxyls and form glycerol
◉ What has a higher level of unsaturation? Oils or fats.
Answer: Oils, theyre liquid at room temperature
◉ What is the henderson hassalbach equation?
Answer: pH = pKa + log ([A-] / [HA])
◉ What is the structure of the plasma membrane?
Answer: Hydrophillic head + Hydrophobic fatty acid tails + proteins
span the phospholipid bylayer
◉ FMOC chemical synthesis
, Answer: Used in synthesis of a growing amino acid chain to a
polystyrene bead. FMOC is used as a protecting group on the N-
terminus.
◉ What is salting out purification?
Answer: Changes soluble protein to solid precipitate. Protein
precipitates when the charges on the protein match the charges in
the solution.
◉ What is size exclusion chromotography?
Answer: Separates sample based on size with smaller molecules
eluting later
◉ Ion Exchange chromatography
Answer: Separates sample based on charge. CM attracts +, DEAE
attracts -. May have repulsion effect on like charges. Salt or acid used
to remove stuck proteins
◉ Hydrphobic/Reverse Phase chromatrography
Answer: Beads are coated with a carbon chain. Hydrophobic
proteins stick better. Elute with non-H-bonding solvent
(acetonitrile).
◉ What is affinity chromotography?
